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laceandlager

Dames, Draughts & Debauchery
🍻Ali, Savannah, Erika, Meg & Emily
📍CO, MO/KS, FL, CA, UK 🇺🇸 🇬🇧
#craftbeerbabe

While I have certain beer styles I naturally gravi

While I have certain beer styles I naturally gravitate towards, I really enjoy trying a broad range of styles from a broad range of breweries. I've spoken before about how I love BA beers, but find they can be divisive - put simply, I like beer more than spirits, so I don't always want my beer to taste too 'spirity'. I like a gentle warmth; a brilliant base beer that stands up in its own right and isn't smothered by barrel character or booze.

Would I usually go for a BA Whisky Sour? No, generally not, but I'm ever so glad this 8% beauty from @howlinghops was included in my August @beerdaduk box, because it's fantastic 👏🏼

The Golden Hour is a perfect example of balance in a BA beer. Pours a stunning amber colour, with a woody, caramel and orange aroma. Lovely smooth mouthfeel; medium bodied. The whisky character definitely comes through, but it doesn't dominate; perfect amount of tartness; lots of sticky golden syrup and malty notes. Incredibly easy to drink, even at 8%. I haven't had very many Howling Hops beers before, but will definitely be getting more in to try after this one!

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

- Emily 💕

Had a solo day poolside, and was so happy to see a

Had a solo day poolside, and was so happy to see a super fresh pack of @bhbc at a nearby store!

Fun fact: My husband and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Barrel House back in 2017! Their beer always takes me back to a happy place, and it was the perfect accompaniment to this beautiful day.

Don’t let the back to school supplies get you down. It is summer yet! Hope you’re having a good one. 🍻

🐋🦈😍 Known for the likes of Putty, their

🐋🦈😍

Known for the likes of Putty, their Shark series and many many others, Cornish brewery @verdantbrew have built up a well-deserved reputation for producing exceptional IPAs and DIPAs. So when this arrived today in my August @beerdaduk mixed box, I just had to dive straight in 😍

Whale Sharks is Verdant's triple dry-hopped, no dextrose version of 'Even Sharks Need Water'. Even at 8.4% this Citra Galaxy beauty is ridiculously drinkable. Creamy, smooth, with fantastic body. Big citrus and melon notes, with an ever so slight savoury quality. Bravo, Verdant 👏🏼

- Emily 💕

the only thing cooling me off on this 100° beach

the only thing cooling me off on this 100° beach day is @floridaavebrewing strawberry lemonade berried pleasure 🍓🍋
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at only 4.5%, this sour is delightfully tart, refreshing and definitely hits the lemonade mark with sweetness! cheers to the weekend, friends! sav 🖤

Swipe to see what I picked (eventually) this time!

Swipe to see what I picked (eventually) this time! 👉

@moonrakerbrewing has proven to make some of my favorite beers locally, and this one is no exception. Fresh, big but balanced, great label - it’s got it all!

Cheers!

We have moved! 🎉 I've been a little quiet the l

We have moved! 🎉 I've been a little quiet the last few weeks, immersed in the chaos of packing, moving and unpacking, but we officially now live in South Devon and I cannot wait to see what craft beer gems I can find down here 😍

Last night, my husband and I ventured down to @fivewallshophouse on Winner Street in Paignton. Since its opening, this has been one of our faaaavourite spots to go: there's always a fantastic selection of beers on tap and in the fridge, a cosy and fabulously functional interior and super welcoming staff. We stood for ages chatting with @jjpatrick about all of the changes that have already been made to the bar, and his vision for the future. With everything they're doing, Five Walls is definitely giving London / Brighton vibes in little ol' Paignton. They deserve a lot of love and support for what they're doing in the community! ❤️

Anyway, we popped in specifically because we saw that there was a @beakbrewery tap takeover on the bar, with the launch of their 'Downside Up' series: celebrating the best breweries and hop farms in Australia and New Zealand. I tried some small measures of the beers while there, but knowing I was the designated driver, I couldn't indulge. Thankfully, they had the three beers in the series already stocked and ready in the fridge, so we of course took some home with us.

Flashforward to today. We took a walk down to the beach (because that's now a thing 🤩) and brought a few little beery treats with us to enjoy as the tide rolled in towards us.

Flor is Beak's collab with Australian brewery @wildflowerbeer : a 4.8% Pilsner with Motueka. This was everything I needed it to be: incredibly clean, crisp with a delicious malty backbone. Little hints of citrus in amongst more floral notes.

More beers in the sunshine on the beach please ⛱️🍻

- Emily 💕

As Charlie Bamforth once said, “Pour with vigor!

As Charlie Bamforth once said, “Pour with vigor!” Or so someone who sat in on his class once told me. Who’s to argue with the Pope of Foam?

High Bines from @shredbeer has all the big hitters when it comes to hops: Mosaic, Nelson, Simcoe, Citra. It leans into the green hop vibes of a West Coast IPA, and maybe it’s my new geography, but I’m into it!

Time really is the longest distance between two pl

Time really is the longest distance between two places.

8 years ago, pre kids, and before my FoCo life, I was blogging for @chicagobeergeeks. I also did some social media for @ten90brewing, which had just opened in Glenview, IL.

I was so exited when they opened because they were creating an oasis in an area with absolutely no breweries, and their beer was (and still is) really, really good.

Unfortunately today they didn’t have any Saint Jaggery or The Closer (since it’s been 7 years 🤣) but they still had their Half Wit and Imperial Wit which still remain favorites of mine, with their Wee Heavy as a close second.

As a bonus, their food is soooo good. They didn’t have a kitchen before! We had a build-our-own pizza, the salmon, roasted veg, salad, and chicken fingers/mac and cheese for the kids.

If you are in the north shore area, def check @ten90brewing out. Super kid friendly, non-pretentious with great vibes. Don’t forget to order the Half-Wit to start.

Cheers! 🍻 Ali

#tenninetybrewing #chicagocraftbeer #illinoiscraftbeer #laceandlager #craftbeerbabe #craftbeerchick #craftbeermom

visited @hopscrafts while in #nashvilletn 😎 •

visited @hopscrafts while in #nashvilletn 😎
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i love a staff that indulges my taster requests! after sampling a few, i settled on @millcreekbrewco del rey mexican lager. it's so refreshing on a hot summer day 🌞 cheers to the weekend, friends! sav🖤

How many miles is it to drive from FoCo to Des Moi

How many miles is it to drive from FoCo to Des Moines?

So many.

We celebrated with a @barntownbrewing dinner and several beers, including this super interesting gluten free PB&J sour. Drinking it really felt like experiencing a fresh- squeezed peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There was raspberry-ish pulp with a PB background, and it was weird, but it was delightful. I’d definitely have another. Not sour at all! Apparently they use seltzer as the base? So, it is even beer?

Love the madness.

Speaking of madness, I’m off to bed since we have to drive to Holland, MI by tomorrow evening.

Guess what brewery we’ll be at tomorrow?

🍻 ! Ali

#barntownbrewing #desmoinesbeer #iowacraftbeer #midwestbeer #laceandlager #craftbeerbabe #craftbeerchick #craftbeermom

Who else went camping last weekend? It was the per

Who else went camping last weekend? It was the perfect summer weekend in the mountains, and there were plenty of summer drinks to share.

The @fortpointbeer Yuzu KSA Radler was exactly as bright, fun and easy drinking as I had hoped it would be. The Yuzu gave such a nice tartness to this KSA, and it felt so right enjoying it on a hot day by the lake.

What are your favorite camping beers? We have another trip lined up, so share your recs, please!

Cheers!
Meg

Feelin’ ✨extra ✨ extra What an absolute @w

Feelin’ ✨extra ✨ extra

What an absolute @weldwerksbrewing treat.

Today we took the whole family on the reservoir. My hubs swam while I towed the kids on our paddleboard train. Several small storms rolled in and we had to get to shore, but for the most part the weather was incredible!

The cove was in full party mode. Cliff jumpers, yacht dance parties, and music blasted from everyone’s speakers. My 1st grader was especially annoyed by the music, saying it was ruining nature “TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN!!!” he screamed while they seemed to turn it up, blasting “you such a sexy bitc#” as loud as possible. We were all 20 once. But I never had a yacht…

I digress.

Back to the beer!! This one was brewed with more than 12.5 lbs per barrel of Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. It’s very extra, yet balanced, like me on my paddleboard 🤣 it tastes of tangerine, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, peach, and grapefruit, basically bursting with fruit. Except, HOPS! This is a lot hoppier than the standard iteration of Juicy Bits.

I highly recommend!! Definitely reserve it for an occasion though. It was $20 for 4 of these bad bitc#es.

Cheers! 🍻 Ali

#weldwerksbrewing #doubleipa #coloradocraftbeer #beersonboats #craftbeerbabe #craftbeerchick #craftbeermom #paddleboardbeer #beersandboards

After spending a good portion of today packing ahe

After spending a good portion of today packing ahead of our big move, I was verrrry much looking forward to sitting down this evening and having a beer. I opened up the fridge and straight away reached for Serpent's Gaze - @northernmonk x @arpusbrewing 's recent Patrons Project beer.

This is an 8% DIPA with a massive hop bill: Nelson T90, Motueka T90, Nelson CGX, Motueka CGX, Mosaic Cryo and Citra Incognito. Phenomenal aroma as you pour it from the can: zesty citrus fruits along with some herbal notes. Body isn't quite as thick as expected, but the flavours are great - lemon, lime, tangerine and white grape. Prominent bitterness and extremely moreish.

And as with all Patrons Project beers - fantastic can artwork; this time from @billelis 🖌️

Hope everyone's had a good start to their weekend 🍻

*This can came as part of my July @beerdaduk Strong, Pale and Hoppy box (kindly gifted). If you want to try out a Beer Dad subscription, you can use the code 'craftbeermum' for 15% off and 2 free bonus cans 🤩*

- Emily 💕

Happy Independence Day! For me, today’s holida

Happy Independence Day!

For me, today’s holiday exists purely out of nostalgia for my childhood. Parades, candy, sparklers, and fireworks.

Each year that goes by, the holiday becomes more complex and concerning, especially when coupled with current political situations and ongoing atrocities committed at the bequest of our government.

But all that aside, I’m grateful to be American. I cherish my health, my friends and family, and all the opportunities I’ve had. I have so much respect for our troops, our people in service, and those who made this life I lead possible. So, I celebrate for them, and the 4ths of the Future, where hopefully we will have competent, responsible, law-abiding leadership.

Here I am with my favorite American-made IPA from @newbelgium brewing. It’s a beer I always keep stocked in our garage fridge. Its dependable. It’s crisp, clean, full of pine and citrus, and packs a punch at 9%.

How and why are you celebrating today?

🍻 Ali

#americanipa #imperialipa #newbelgiumbrewing #fortcollinsbeer #coloradocraftbeer #womeninbeer #craftbeerbabe #craftbeerchick #laceandlager #craftbeermom

It's no secret I love the @elusivebrew taproom. Re

It's no secret I love the @elusivebrew taproom. Retro video games and great beer - it's a match made in heaven.

We headed over to Elusive and to @sirentapyard today to hang with some friends, enjoy some live music and, of course, have a few beers. First up was Elusive's Collab with Mysterious: a 4.8% White IPA named Together In The Light. I followed this swiftly with Alone In The Dark: Elusive's 5.8% Black IPA. Both hit the spot, but I'm definitely a BIPA gal through and through.

Hope you're all enjoying some glorious sunshine and a beer or two this weekend 🍻

- Emily 💕

i don't know what's glowing more...the sunset or t

i don't know what's glowing more...the sunset or this can of @urban.artifact teak tropical 🌅
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this american fruit tart is a perfect beach beer; with pineapple, pink guava and key limes at 7.2% 🍍 it's certainly sour, but the tropical fruit flavors are robust and so, so delicious.
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the third pic show just how excited i was to find a liquor close by with craft beer! cheers! sav 🖤
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photo credits to my big sister @rosiyogi

Kid’s at camp, work needs to be done, state park

Kid’s at camp, work needs to be done, state park has wi-fi. This calls for an NA Beer!

This Trail Pass IPA from @sierranevada is the perfect accompaniment. If I focus on the breeze, the bird songs and the taste of hops, it’s almost like I’m on vacation as much as the folks in the nearby camper.

Also, I have another beer to add to my list for our next real camping trip.

Cheers!

FoCo Crooked Stave lives on! The @crookedstave F

FoCo Crooked Stave lives on!

The @crookedstave Fort Collin’s location closed at the end of last year, leaving a void in our beloved @theexchangefoco .

Luckily, they still own the location and have opened again as a craft beer bar! Here you’ll find @crookedstave beer as well as other local and far flung offerings.

I chose @fremontbrewing Lush IPA. It’s a 7% “less hoppy” west coast IPA from Seattle, WA.

Unfortunately I had to drink it in this plastic cup since I chose to take the drink outside, but I’m glad because at the Exchange, you can drink whatever, wherever you want!

So glad to have a new craft beer bar in town, since I’m still grieving the loss of @shopfoothills Hop Grenade.

Cheers! 🍻Ali

#beerbar #craftbeerbar #lovefortcollins #craftbeerbabe #craftbeerchick #craftbeermom #craftbeergirls #ipa #freemontbrewing #crookedstave #fortcollinscraftbeer

Wine not? Even thought we are a craft beer accou

Wine not?

Even thought we are a craft beer account, we still enjoy wine, and especially Colorado wine!

Thank you @blanchardwine and @cowinewalk for inviting us today. What an intimate and flavorful wine experience. I (Ali) tasted so many different wines from all over Colorado, and tried some grapes I’d never heard of before!

Here’s a list of participating wineries:
@carlsonvineyards
@whitewaterhillvineyards
@theobcwineproject
@restorationvineyards
@lanoueduboiswinery
@chillswitchwines
@centennialcellars
@blanchardwine

Special thanks to @vatostacosandtequila and @oldtownchurn for their delicious burritos, guac, and vegan ice cream. And extra special thanks to my babe Josh for taking some great footage of me and my adorable wine glass.

Really looking forward to more events like this in Fort Collins!

🍻 Ali

#craftwine #coloradowinefest #winewalk #lovefortcollins #craftbeerbabe #craftbeermom #craftbewrchick #winetime🍷 #winenot

What do you get when you cross one of the UK's bes

What do you get when you cross one of the UK's best breweries with one of the US' best? No this isn't a set up for a rubbish joke; the answer is a simply out👏🏼STAND👏🏼ing beer (...obviously) 🤤

When I saw that @fidensbrewing had visited the UK to do a collab with @trackbrewingco , I knew this was a beer I had to try. Thankfully, it did not disappoint! Maiden features an absolutely mammoth hop bill: Citra (YCH 702 Trial, T90 & Cryo), Nelson, Nectaron, Peacharine and Riwaka Sub Zero Hop Kief 🤯

Tropical fruits (mainly peach, pineapple and mango) and pine on the nose. Beautifully soft, creamy body. I've heard a fair few people comment that this is too green for them but I actually think it's the perfect level for me 💚 Peachy, resinous, peppery and aggressively hopped.

Well worthy of the hype it is getting 😍

Hope you're all enjoying the Saturday sunshine ☀️

- Emily 💕

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